This article is devoted to the analysis of the ballad "The Renegade" by the famous Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. The idea of the work is to describe the events that reflect the fate of loving people who cannot unite with each other due to the dogmas of confessions. The plot of the poem consists of three episodes that make up a sequence of events. In their structure, they resemble edifying stories of traditional Sufi parables. The Polish poet, skillfully using the realities of Eastern culture, in particular Turkish, tries to create a colorful, fabulous picture of the medieval Ottoman Empire, against the background of which the events of the life of the ruler-pasha unfold. The places of action of the events are different. The first episode takes place in the harem of the ruler. Concubines of different nationalities try to entertain their saddened, sad master with dances and songs. The reader does not know the reasons for the sadness of the ruler, who is surrounded by beautiful girls eager to attract his attention. The fairy-tale atmosphere is broken by a court servant who comes with his gift, a new concubine. He, confident that her beauty will be able to lift the mood of the master, removes the veil from the concubine. The expected reaction is not crowned with success: the master is not surprised by anything, but at the same time, to everyone's surprise, he suddenly dies. The second episode takes place in the square, where a crowd is described demanding the unconditional punishment of the concubine, who is the cause of the ruler's death. The last episode, the final scene takes us to a distant northern country, where the former captive, who linked her fate with a coreligionist, dies of longing for her lover. This episode is the culmination. During the funeral service for the deceased, a Turk appears who asks to fulfill the wish of his deceased master and marry the deceased. The ballad ends with a mystical refusal of the deceased, who remained faithful to her religious traditions. Thus, the poet, turning to an ancient Eastern parable, reveals the tragedy of love, leaving its perception and interpretation to the reader himself.